Earlier this week, I received a Whatsapp
message regarding a play being staged in Ulhasnagar based on the upsetting
trend of a number of Hindu Sindhis embracing Christianity. The play intends to
bring into public discourse discussion on this worrying trend that has gathered
pace for the last decade or so wherein a number of Hindu Sindhis are now
converting to Christianity. I understand that in Ulhasnagar particularly, there
has been a quiet increase in the number of prayer halls where
a pastor chaperones a weekly congregation; however such practices are becoming
common in other areas as well. Online reports indicate that there are around
70- 100 such halls in Ulhasnagar and a friend tells me that around 1.25 lacs Sindhis
have embraced Christianity till date.
Youtube is full of videos Sindhi songs in praise of Jesus and why
Sindhis should embrace Christianity. I
am told that most of these conversions are for economic reasons.
I
remember a dinner conversation that I had with a business associate of ours in
Kathmandu an year or so ago. We were discussing how Nepal had recently
transitioned towards being a “Secular” state from a Hindu Monarchy and how it
had a section of citizens worried. There was an apprehension that by becoming a
secular state, Nepal was throwing open itself to evangelists who often targeted
the poor and downtrodden and incentivized them to turn to Christianity. Evangelism,
he mentioned, has become very much of an organized trade in this part of the
world wherein there are a lot of incentives such as free medicines, healthcare,
food, clothing, money etc. that is offered to the poor and downtrodden for
converting to Christianity. Unfortunately, I now see the same thing happening
with our community as well. The elderly client who is also a fellow Hindu then commented
“In Hinduism, there is no concept of conversion;
One can only be born as a Hindu.” He
then further explained that it is for this very reason that some of the oldest
Hindu temples such as Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu do not allow
individuals who aren’t borne as Hindus to enter the Sanctum Sanctorium and they
can do the Darshan from a distance.
I am personally not a supporter of religious
conversions and have always believed that the family and the religion that one
is born in is divine’s blessing and one should hold allegiance to them; however
this does not mean one should look down upon any other religion as essentially
all religions eventually lead to the path of righteousness and well-being of
all (“Sarbaht ka Bhala”). However, even if someone decides to
change his/her religion, it has to be purely out of one’s own will and devoid
of any extraneous pressure/inducement else the entire exercise loses its
relevance. I find it disheartening that amongst us there are people who entice
others to convert to other religions by using economic means to instill love
for “their” god. Clearly, many of us seem to have forgotten the immense sacrifices
that our ancestors made (including coming to India leaving everything back
home) just to protect our identity as Hindu Sindhis. Hindu Sindhis seem to be
at receiving ends from both sides – In Sindh, Pakistan one reads about forced
conversions of young Hindu girls to Islam and on the other hand, in India, we
have conversions to Christianity for economic reasons. I am not sure for how
long we as a community will survive if this continues.
At the same time, I am aware that whilst
sitting in a comfortable cushion sofa it is easy for me to preach about
idealism and allegiance whereas for a number of our brothers and sisters, it is
still a question of daily survival, and if by converting to Christianity helps
them secure a comfortable life and financial assistance from the church why would
they not convert!
This is where I think we as a community have
failed. Economic inequalities amongst Sindhis have always been quite steep and unfortunately
rising. The well offs have always lacked behind in helping our less fortunate
brothers and sisters. In a community
that is estimated to be 5-7 Million strong, 1.25 lacs is not a small number and
if all of us do not take steps now, it may soon be too late to mend ways.
Whilst Sindhis have always been strong individual performers, however we lack
unity when it comes to working together. As an elderly relative used to say “Asaan
Sindhiyan mein Baddhi kaane” (We Sindhis lack
unity). Therefore most of our philanthropic efforts are on a piece meal basis
and fragmented thereby unable to assist the receiver in a meaningful manner.
I
think it is high time that the entire community (irrespective of where we are based;
whether in India or outside) should come together and we should run simple
schemes at a meaningful scale. The schemes should be managed by trusts
involving eminent people whom others trust that they will put the funds to most
effective use. Unfortunately, the time is running away and hence urgent
attention is needed.
The interested reader may want to read
the below editorial that was published in Sindhi Shaan magazine in 2008.
I end with a recent song that I
heard on Coke Studio, Pakistan – “Wah Jo Kalam” a song that tries to capture the
multifaceted Sindhi Spirit. Sung and written by Asrar Shah who is accompanied
by brother –sister duo of Shamu Bai and Vishnu with their powerful vocals. I
found the song to be quite refreshing, hope you like it too. Don’t forget to click
on Subtitle icon in the lower end of the frame for English translation of the
lines
Feedback received from a reader:
ReplyDeleteJust came across this beautiful passage from James Joyce's novel, "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" that reminded me of your last blog. Your blog in a way is about a slice of life observed by you, a young person, amid constricting social conventions. Joyce's main character Stephen Deadlus says: "When the soul of a man is born...there are nets flung at it to hold it back from flight. You talk to me of nationality, language, religion. I shall try to fly by (without) those nets." Instead of the restraining nets of childhood and background in India given to us through casteism, communalism, regionalism and racism embedded in identity politics, the challenge is how to transcend these.
As I don't live in Ulhas Nagar, it will be unfair to comment on the situation there. My refugee relations used to live in the army barracks of Kalyan Camp No 5 but KC is gone and now become Ulhas Nagar extending beyond a Sindhi refugee colony. People from many non-Sindhi cultural communities have come to reside and work there. I recently met a young Indian IT expert from Ulhas Nagar who had been head hunted by a multinational from a technical college there. I was surprised that he was not Sindhi as I assumed, he turned out to be a Maharashtrian, I did not ask him about his religion or his janambhoomi, he could have been a Christian/Hindu or might have thought of me to be a Sindhi refugee from Pakistan. Come to think of it all those post 1947 refugee colonies created around Delhi, their land was once owned by local Jats and Zamidaars. Can you imagine how resentful they must have felt when refugees started arriving surrounding them, and then people from all over coming and destroying their culture and tradition?
With freedom of religion and freedom of movement enshrined in the Indian Constitution, and with the influx of new job seekers in and around Ulhas Nagar, one may start seeing Churches and Mosques in Ulhas Nagar along with Temples and Gurudwaras. India through its Constitution went for a more pragmatic secular route, trying to provide breathing space for ALL to co-exist. Conversions in modern times whether for economic or/and spiritual reasons only happen because of the choice of an individual. There are no Moslem and British empires. Cultural identities are deeply personal, they have to be worked out in one's mind and home, first testing our core ethical values about the brotherhood of Man, respect of the "other", and oneness of humanity, otherwise these become mere hollow words.
Throwing aside these restraining nets of his childhood and social background Joyce was able to create from his pain and imagination a world class literature about love and understanding of the other (instead of getting played into the hands of power mad religious and political leaders of his time). Much more than I intended to write.
Enjoyed the Coke link to the musical tribute you sent praising Shah Abdul Lateef by Asrar Shah who is accompanied by Shamu Bai and Vishnu with their powerful vocals.
Imagine how culturally deprived we would be if Indian Sindhis were asked to drop that part of their heritage being non- Muslims. In growing up, the challenge is how to fling away these so-called nets and enjoy the eternal oneness of spirit.